Just had a bit of a sensory overload while waiting at the side of the road for a bus.
It was approx 9 p.m. UK, and i was waiting at the side of the road waiting for a bus, and this taxi (cab) driver
drove towards me in a new electric car with his new flashy headlights on full beam.
It was in the middle of the town that my parents live in which is very well lit.
The headlights automatically caused me to have a sensory overload, as I was unable to take my eyes off
the road as if i did so I may miss the bus. As the bus driver often wiz'es past and you have to make a concerted
effort in order to get the bus driver to stop.
So anyway, this taxi driver was driving up towards me with his headlamps on full beam, which blinded me.
He then stopped approximate 10 metres from the bus stop I was standing at to drop off the folks he was carrying,
and he continued to keep his headlamps on full beam.
As I had to keep my eyes on the road, in order to prevent the bus from driving past.
I was forced to look at his headlights, which automatically caused me to experience sensory overload!
So I started shouting at him and walked from the bus stop, crossed the road and walked next to the car drivers window
and shouted at him to put his headlights on low, as he was blinding me, I also explained that i had to look at the road as if i did not I may miss the bus. So he gave me no choice but confront him.
Anyway. Just another day having ASD in this world of people who either don't know or don't care.
Luckily i didn't swear at him, and I did not get violent. Although the experience of being blinded by halogen lamps was extremely unpleasant and instantly caused me to become extremely aggressive! fight and flight i guess.
I guess there isn't really much way around experiencing this type of experience.
So what else can one do.
Luckily the driver was pleasant and not confrontational, and did not engage in retaliation.
I imagine that if the bus driver wasn't, this scenario could turn out differently.